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without them he thought he would not fight ; whereof the prince. was right joyous, for his arearguard, wherein were six thousand men, was behind him a seven leagues of that country, whereof the prince was sore displeased in his heart that they tarried so long. Howbeit, if his enemies had come on forward the same day, he was fully determined to have received and fought with them. And in the same evening the two marshals, sir d'Angle and sir Stephen Cosington, commanded every man to draw to their lodging, and in the next morning to be ready af' sowning of the trumpets, every man in the same order as they had been all that day: and so every man obeyed saving sir Thomas Felton and such company as he had before. The same evening they departed from the prince and rode forward a two leagues nearer to their enemies, to know what they did. And that evening the earl don Tello, brother to king Henry, was with him in his lodging and talked together of divers deeds of arms and adventures : and at last he said to his brother: `Sir, ye know well our enemies are lodged not far from us, and yet there is none that hath aviewed them. Sir, I require you give me leave that in the morning I may ride toward them with a certain number, such as hath great desire so to do; and, sir, I promise you I shall ride so near them that we will bring you certain knowledge what they do.' And this king Henry, when he saw the desire of his brother, agreed thereto lightly. The same proper hour sir Bertram of Guesclin came to their host with a three thousand fighting men of France and of Aragon; whereof the king and all his company were right joyous, and honourably received him and his company. The earl don Tello forgat not his purpose, but desired such to go as pleased him, and would gladly have desired sir Bertram of Guesclin and sir Arnold d'Audrehem, the Begue of Villaines and the viscount of Roquebertin of Aragon, but because they were so lately come to the host, he let them alone, and also the king Henry charged him in no wise to speak thereof. So the earl don Tello let it pass and took with him other of France and of Aragon, so that he was to the number of six thousand horses well appar elled, and with him his brother Sancho in his company.

CHAPTER CCXXXVI

How certain of the company of the duke of Lancaster's were discomfited, and of the counsel that king Henry would not believe; and of the letters that the prince wrote to king Henry, and of the counsel that sir Bertram of Guesclin gave to the answer of the same letters.

SUMMARY.-In the encounters of advanced parties king Henry had the better and sir Thomas Felton and his company were all slain or taken. The English host set themselves in array on a certain hill. Sir Arnold d'Audrehem counselled king Henry to stop the passes and starve his enemies, but he would not take that counsel, being desirous to fight.

THE chapter thus continues The prince of Wales and the duke of Lancaster were all the said clay on the mountain, and at night they were informed of their men that were thus taken and slain, wherewith they were sore displeased, but they could not amend it. Then they drew to their lodging, and the next morning the prince took counsel and determined to depart from thence, and so he did and went and lodged before Vittoria, and there stood in battle ready to fight, for it was informed the prince how that king Henry and his brother and their company were not far thence ; but they came not forward. The prince and his company had great lack of victuals and provision for themselves and for their horses, for they were lodged but in an evil country and a hard, and king Henry and his company lay in a good fruitful country. In the prince's host a loaf of bread was sold for a florin, every man glad so to give, and more an they could have got it ; also the time was foul and troublous of wind, rain and snow; and in this danger and disease they were six days. And when the prince saw that the Spaniards came not forward to fight, and that they were there in great distress, then they determined to go an